RCH Design Innovation Award...Swinburne !
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The Winners Dr Simone Taffe
As part of the clubs recent efforts to build the relationship with Swinburne University (Hawthorn Campus) it provides an award for design innovation. Chairman Bill Troedel introduced Swinburne staff member Dr Simone Taffe who advised that Swinburne's Design School has about 2,500 students.
Thence it was that the winners Luci Colman, Beth Fernon, Fiona Lewis and Jane Roberts along with Simone attended our recent meeting to receive their award. With such a large pool of entrants possible it was no surprise that their winning project was of extremely high quality. President Gordon Cheyne presented each their share of the award.
Based on cross disciplines in IT, Business and Design and a team approach utilising research techniques we were given a presentation of their winning "Break" project. Aimed at blending technology with social change "Break" arose from studies on health in the work place and the frightening observations obtained from the girls' review of answers to questionnaires given to a range of employees.
Most people spend more the 6 hours sitting each day.
With large employer organisations in mind, the end product (to this time) of the project was a package of brochures, pamphlets, slogans and a data collecting wrist band to be worn by employees. All designed to be used by an employer to highlight the detrimental impacts of sedentary inclinations at work the key element however was wrist band and the software - the App - by which data derived from that band could be viewed and analysed to encourage greater movement by an employee in the work place. We must all stand regularly.
After the presentation the audience, through discussion and questioning, explored its first reactions to the prospects and ideas for commercial development and marketing of the package.